The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-05-05

The two worked on together for the next
four years in perfect happiness and content:
Bernardino's fame spread until it eclipsed
that Of .Tornello, whose pride and love for
his protege increased with his days. The
young. artist was petted and courted upon
every hand, but nothing but his beloved art
seemed to have power to move him. The
most cunning and artful devices of the most
beautiful and charming women failed to
wean him from his chisels. His workshop
was more to him than the finest salon in
Italy, and in his heart there, was only love
for Tornello and the art which they were
both seeking to glorify.
One night, in dream, q woman came to
Bernardino-a woman of the rarest beauty.
go, once more" she said, ito the bleak
Northern quarries whence you came here.
On the highest of all the hills is block of
stone, which hangs in cleft in the rocks.
Queen of the Lilies-the spirit presiding over
the flowers which you most love. Lberate
me. Bring the block of stone here in the
City of Lilies, here in the heart of my once
imperial kingdom. Set me free and will
reward you. Whatever you will shall be
Believing in his dream, he went back
northward to the detested quarries, whence
he had fled five years before. In the dome
of the highest hill was O deep narrow cleft,
which looked as if it had been chopped into
the hard stone by blow from some great
ak. In this cleft, exactly as he had
men removed It for Bernardino, and he had
it sent to Florence and taken to his studio.
Not until then did he tell TornellO his
dream. The old artist smiled.
"If 1t has any significance at al, he said,
.'the dream means that you areto shape this
beautiful woman, who is to be so immortal
lied as the Queen of the Lilies. Iwould not,
though, if were you, set much store by the
dream they are of strange fabric. Some
times one has good cause for thinking that
they have value. At other times we have
still better reasons for believing otherwise.
One never can settle upon the things Of so
Bernardjno made the marble block into
half nude statue without a model or anything
else to guide him but his recollection of the
woman of his dream. The face was spiritu.
ally fine and subtle, but the form, though
dainty in its extremities, was voluptuously
though, so pure, sweet and modest about It
that It suggested the lilies to those who saw
1t before they were acquainted with the
young artists Intention.
All Florence united in pronouncing It a
great creation. and all the country rang weth
Bernardino's praises. No one greeted him
master.
"Now, dear" he said, II am content
Every possible temptation has been thrust
upon you, and you have resisted them all.
Even praise has not spoiled you. You are
safe-safe from the harm Of women--safe
from everything which could do you hurt.
him. You are foremost in art as well us
foremost in virtue"
At that very moment in Roman wine
room, through whose open windows could be
seen the yellow Tiber, another great artist
was dining. He had just come down from
Florence, where he had been, with many
others, to see Bernardino's statue of the lily
queen. As he was finishing his dinner his
wine was brought him by young woman,
at sight of whom the artist sprang to his
feet with loud cry of surprise.
"Who are you?" he exclaimed, when he
could get his breath:
What sils yop~ cried the woman; are
you III? You look at me as If you thought
"Who are You ?' he repeated.
"Only wanton," she answered, scowline
and Struggling her shoulders. "But what Ol
that' There are plenty who are worse
"You are exactly like Bernardino's statue.
Were you his modelf You and his lily
queen could not be more alike, in face and
figure. were you both cut from the same
block"
The woman moved swiftly away, with q
strange light in her eyes. When the artist
next went to that wine room she was gone.
In the next three months all that human
hy can devise for the honoring of . favored
one was done for Bernardino. And he bore
i all with the modesty and simplicity which
had marked his first utterance to Tornello
ORe night, at an artists frOlic in the young
mans studio, they, proposed crowning him
'No, :, said Tornelio. "let II bsalily wreath
How can we?" cried . yellow-haired
saxon, painter Of exquisite portraits. sThis
ut y always the lily season here" am
yvered ToEnello, bringing out The wreeth q
lille. Which was the dfst q Hesnasdin6s
yoek thet be ever saw. "fcu can cs0yp
him With Lilies -you can UoWn him With
. ~. z 4 H. z ths A yoek e - 24n as.ds, and ~